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Isabelle 'Izzy' Shaw ([info]izzyshaw) wrote in [info]spinningcompass,
@ 2017-09-15 18:58:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:sookie sully, ~izzy shaw, ~tom sully

Who: Izzy, Tom, Sookie, little Izzy, the kids
Where: A planet far from the station
What: Refugees finding their footing
When: A day or two after finding themselves on the planet, five years before everyone arrives at the station.
Rating: TBD
Open: No
Status: Thread, in progress



The last two days had been confusing, and chaotic. She, Tom, the youngest four kids, little Izzy and Sookie had gone from the comfort of their home on the (albeit frozen) island one moment to an alien world the next. An alien world in a spacefaring society with humans, but not one anyone from the island had been from.

It wasn't the first time Izzy had jumped dimensions, it'd happened to her a couple times before arriving on the island. But she hadn't been halfway through a triplet pregnancy along with four children under four in tow then. Thank god she had Tom, Sookie, and little Izzy or she and the kids might have died right then. The first day had been a mad scramble to figure out where they were, find shelter, and some food. Without Sookie's experience in a spacefaring civilization before this Izzy wasn't sure how they would have made it.


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[info]sookie_sully
2017-09-16 03:01 am UTC (link)
When they had first arrived, Sookie had been hoping they were in the universe she'd visited before. Or something out of the many space fictions she'd read and seen growing up. This place was different though, and she hoped she was being enough of a help to her family. She held the hand of one of her younger siblings and an eye on the younger Izzy, making sure she didn't go running off in search of Wall-E or E.T. It kept herself focused on their current situation and from worrying about the rest of her family - the ones that weren't there with them.

"It's too bad we didn't make it to a Star Trek-based dimension." Sookie commented to her parents with a chuckle. "A universal translator would come in handy right now. And a replicator. And a transporter."

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[info]izzyshaw
2017-09-17 01:56 pm UTC (link)
Izzy had impressed the seriousness of their situation on her namesake, as well as Aslan, who seemed to understand her when she talked to him. There couldn't be any running off or straying right now, no matter the temptation. Things were just too dire right now, though she hadn't put it in quite those terms.

The twelve year old appeared to be taking the warning seriously, holding Lilly's hand and making sure the younger girl didn't wander off.

Izzy couldn't spare concern right now for the family that hadn't arrived with them. She had to take care of the ones that were here now, and make sure they were settled with a steady source of food and some shelter as soon as possible. Heading into her seventh month she was already exhausted all the time and it was only going to get worse, if she was going to get things done and make sure her family was safe it had to be done as soon as possible.

She and Tom each had one of the one year olds strapped to their chests, and Aslan was keeping a watchful eye on everyone. The refugees were attracting a few stares but nobody seemed inclined to stop them and ask what they were doing. Yet.

"Replicators and transporters would definitely come in handy. If we can scrounge components, you and I might be able to rig up a translator between us." Once they were settled Tom's knowledge of plants and animals would come in handy, right now the more technical and magical side of their skill set was of the most use.

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[info]sookie_sully
2017-09-20 09:50 pm UTC (link)
Sookie had been kidding, trying to keep the point light. Her mother's idea was fascinating. Solving the language barrier would be a huge improvement in this new place. She looked ahead of them, trying to identify the various buildings in the distance and guess at their purposes in this world.

"If we could find a marketplace, we might be able to trade for the parts we need." Sookie suggested. thinking back to her time in 'down below' as a Babylon 5 lurker. She'd found ways to get by then, she could do it now. Bartering was their best option without local currency. The problem was that most of their possessions, especially the valuable ones, were back on the island. "We could offer to let someone pet Aslan, or to help someone with our magic, in exchange." She was hoping they wouldn't have to resort to theft, especially since they didn't know the consequences if they were to get caught.

Young Izzy grinned. "Maybe I could tell them some stories. They've never heard of Anne of Green Gables, or Narnia, or the Wizard of Oz, so many books. That's got to be worth something."

Sookie glanced at her niece. "That's an interesting idea, Iz, but we'd need the translator first for them to understand. Even then, they may not have time for stories." Life in space meant putting survival and meeting basic needs first.

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[info]notaskxawng
2017-09-25 07:52 pm UTC (link)
Tom heard the chatter of the conversation. But it ran by him almost unheard. While the women's worries circled around technology, his own were concerned with two things: food and shelter. God, he had not realised what a paradise the island had been. He was glad that Sookie entertained little Izzy. He doubted he would have had the patience right now.

He stayed silent as he watched the population around him pass by. Races he had never dreamed of were hidden behind hoods or grouped around a what looked like a storefront. They weren't the only humanoids though. Who knew what would have happened then? Would they have been put in a zoo or circus?

The women were right. Translation was the first step. But maybe it was not them that needed to do it. "Maybe there are people here who can understand us. Just anyone where we can get information from. Someone who can point us to a rescue shelter." A poor house. He shuddered at the idea but it was a better one than starving.

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[info]izzyshaw
2017-09-26 10:55 pm UTC (link)
Izzy glanced over at her husband, seeing the worry on his face. She knew her own expression reflected the same concern. There were so many unknowns and this place was stranger than any of the previous dimensions or locales through the door she'd ever been.

"Let's keep the magic under wraps for now, in case we need an edge later." She told her daughter, uneasy about openly displaying it. "Not every society welcomes magic users with open arms."

She was thankful that humans weren't unknown here, though it didn't look like they were the majority at this place by any means. Actually Izzy wasn't sure if there was a majority species, there were so many different types.

At this point a rescue shelter or any sort of accommodations sounded like heaven. The stress of their time here was already taking its toll on top of the pregnancy, and she was simply exhausted and desperate to sit and rest. But she couldn't, not yet.

"Maybe. If we can find someone who looks friendly we can give it a shot I guess."

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[info]sookie_sully
2017-09-28 01:52 am UTC (link)
Sookie nodded at her mother's words, listening to her wisdom and cation. She felt a temptation to give an outright display of her magic to let others know what she was capable of and that she could defend her family if needed. But her mother was right. This wasn't the same universe she'd been in; people here would not react the same way to a technomage as they had in her other experiences.

An alien watching them caught Sookie's attention. It was the way he was watching them, clearly trying to seem like he wasn't looking at them. Perhaps this universe's version of a pickpocket. She reached out with her free hand and looped her arm around Izzy's shoulders, pulling her closer.

Izzy assumed Sookie's gesture had something to do with her father's words. "Are they gonna split us up if we go to a shelter?" Izzy asked nervously. Many of the stories she had read involved families being pulled apart in desperate times. She didn't want to be sent to this world's version of a foster family, or something much worse like the 'games' she'd been forced to participate in before.

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[info]izzyshaw
2017-10-14 12:49 am UTC (link)
Izzy didn't care for the way the alien was looking at them either and let herself drift closer to the others. She didn't know the culture here or what those stares might mean. The temptation to use her magic was there, but she bit down and resisted the urge as she hurried the family along instead.

She heard her granddaughter's question and shook her head. "I don't think so sweetie. We're going to want to stick together." Whether they could live up to that idea was an open question but she intended to do everything she could to make it so.

She looked to her daughter for guidance on what to do next. "Any ideas on who to try and talk to Sook?"

(ooc: so sorry it took so long to tag!)

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[info]sookie_sully
2017-10-21 02:19 am UTC (link)
Sookie looked over everyone they passed. She was hoping to spot another family. One thing she had discovered during her last venture into space was that the desire to protect one's children was universal. Surely, another parent would have the best chance of being sympathetic to her plight. There were a few groups of aliens that might be families, or simply shorter aliens with taller. Finally, she saw a group that seemed to be parents with a young child, guessing by the way they held the little one.

"Them." She suggested, subtly nodding her in their direction. "I think they'd be friendly."

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[info]notaskxawng
2018-01-28 05:18 pm UTC (link)
A family. A good choice. Or was it? Tom didn't know anymore. But hiding from it wasn't an option. They had to find someone. Something. "Yeah, okay, yeah... they look, uh, trustworthy." He felt like he should take charge. He felt like he should do something. But he didn't know space. His daughter was far better suited than he ever will be. Even Izzy knew that. She had asked her after all.

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[info]izzyshaw
2018-01-28 08:15 pm UTC (link)
Izzy had asked her daughter since of the three adults, Sookie was the only one of them with any experience in a world remotely like this.

She glanced at Tom, judging his reaction before she went further, at his nod she studied the aliens for a moment and shrugged. It made as good a sense as any. "I just hope we can figure out how to communicate. Go ahead and see what you can do Sook, we'll be right there with you."

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[info]sookie_sully
2018-01-28 09:03 pm UTC (link)
Sookie approached the alien family slowly, showing them her hands to prove she was no threat. Many of the cultures she'd encountered had similar traditions. She then pointed to herself. "Sookie." The attempt at an introduction gained her looks of suspicion and annoyance, but she couldn't give up. She gestured to her family, and continuing gesturing, hoping she'd communicate that they needed help.

The tallest member of the alien family grabbed Sookie's hand and for a second, Sookie thought she was in trouble. The alien dropped a pouch into Sookie's hand and pointed to a building. Sookie gave a nod of thanks and waved her family over. "I think we need to go over there." She indicated the same building and peeked inside the pouch, finding several small gemstones. "And this might be currency."

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[info]notaskxawng
2018-01-28 09:50 pm UTC (link)
Tom watched. Years he had spent preparing for a life that he would never lead. A life on a different planet with aliens that spoke a foreign tongue. One could always find a way to communicate. Observation was key. He tried to connect mumbled words and gestured with meanings. And then, when the alien grabbed his daughter's arm, he was ready to jump. Grab the stool from the stall they were standing next to and bash its head in. It was a primal fear that had only griped his soul a few times in his life.

But it had occurred for nothing. One look at the gems and he could confirm Sookie's hypothesis. "Yeah, I've seen people pay with that." He glanced back at the aliens and gave a nod. He remembered something he had seen. He raised his hand to his chest and tapped his shirt with it twice. Merchants had done this after being handed their pay. He could only hope it meant 'thank you'. The alien showed something he could only interpret as a smile and returned the gesture. "Yeah, okay, let's go."

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[info]izzyshaw
2018-01-28 10:39 pm UTC (link)
Well that was a start at least.

Izzy wondered how much they'd just been given, but imagined it probably wasn't that much. But hopefully it would be enough to get them some food and a place to sleep for the night. That would be good enough for now and they could figure out their next steps later.

"Let's hope they aren't pointing us to the law for panhandling." She shook her head, trying to keep a brave face for the children.

The family made their way over to the building and stepped through the front door into what looked like a reception area. A human, a man who looked about middle aged and hadn't missed many meals, looked them up and down without getting up from his position behind the desk. He said something but Izzy didn't have the first clue what it meant.

Looking at the pictures on the wall she guessed it was a shelter of some kind, but what the rules were or how they applied to get in she had no idea.

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[info]sookie_sully
2018-01-30 12:03 am UTC (link)
"Even if they are, the law might be friendly." Sookie said hopefully. Lurkers, the B5 version of the homeless, would often do better spending a night in a holding cell, then in the encampment they'd made for themselves called 'down below.' Law enforcement usually had rules and guidelines to follow.

The younger Izzy lagged behind, playing as best she could with one the alien children. The alien patted her on the head and pointed in the direction her family had gone. Izzy giggled and ran to catch up to her family. "Don't stray too far from us again, Iz." Sookie warned her niece.

When they entered the shelter, Sookie looked at the man with her eyebrows raised and pointed to one of the pictures, which featured a family sleeping in an alien equivalent of bunk beds. The photo didn't look like the nicest accommodations - if anything, the bedroom looked dark and dirty. But that could be to encourage others to donate to the shelter for improvements? Maybe. Hope was so important.

Sookie drew her hands up to her lips, pretending to drop a morsel of food in her mouth - then folded her hands under her cheek and briefly closed her eyes, feigning sleep. Opening her eyes again, she looked at the man to see if he had understood her questions.

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[info]notaskxawng
2018-02-04 12:04 am UTC (link)
This was not a charitable place. The man's reaction conveyed no pity. Or maybe it were the alien features that hid it. A brisk nod before the custodian peeled himself from his chair and guided them through a door. The pictures on the walls had not lied. In front of them laid a hall cramped with beds and people. The lack of ventilation had left the air filled with the stank of the many inhabitants. The floor was dirty and every bit of room used for the few personal items people possessed. The bunk beds did not allow his gaze to travel to far but on this part most beds seemed to be taken.

The custodian pointed to the left and muttered a word which Tom could only guess meant 'food'. Tom tapped his shoulder again and the man left.

"This way then," he said nodding towards the left. What else could they do?

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[info]izzyshaw
2018-02-04 03:36 am UTC (link)
Izzy swallowed hard as she followed her husband. This was shelter? It was a slum, even worse than what she'd lived with as a little girl. But what could they do? Her children needed food and they needed someplace to lay their heads.

Lilly started sniffling and Izzy hauled the toddler onto a hip. "Shhh, none of that sweetheart. Just a little longer." She just hoped she wasn't lying.

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[info]sookie_sully
2018-02-04 08:04 pm UTC (link)
It took all of Sookie's willpower to not stop and offer comfort and help to every human and alien they passed. At least in down below, she would have seen merchants trying to sell their wares, people offering work in exchange for credits, working their way back up to a 'normal' life. This place felt devoid off even that faint hope.

Sookie walked through the hallway to the left, into a Dickensian scene of more humans and aliens, lined up to be given some kind of mush and a side of what looked like fried worms. She couldn't help but notice that several of them were coughing and a few were missing fingers, a reminder that illness must spread quickly through a place like this. At least the ones serving the food seemed healthier.

"I guess we join the line."

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[info]notaskxawng
2018-02-10 05:43 pm UTC (link)
"Yeah," he said as he mimicked Izzy and went to pick up little Viv. He'd rather not have the kids wiggle free and run away. A toddle on the loose in a place like this was highly dangerous. Too many corners to hide. Too many strangers to run into.

"Look, you two. There is gonna be some food soon. It's gonna be exciting, not many humans ever had the opportunity to get something like this." He tried to sound as exciting as his words. He tried to be as excited as his words. In other circumstances he would have been. But now he was hungry. He was tired. Most of all, he was scared.

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